Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here is the detailed profile of Ticky Burden:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Eugene “Ticky” Burden
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born on February 24, 1953 – Passed away on October 29, 2015 (62 years old at the time of his death)
  • Hometown: Albany, Georgia, USA
  • Height: 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters)
  • Weight: 185 pounds (84 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 3 inches
  • Shoe Size: Size 12 (US)
  • Number: 6
  • Position: Shooting guard / Point guard
  • High School: Schuyler High School (Albany, Georgia)
  • College: University of Utah (1971–1975)
  • NBA Draft: 1975, 3rd round, 38th overall pick by the New York Knicks
  • Teams Played For:
    • New York Knicks (1976–1978)
  • Championship Rings: None
  • Kids: Information about children is not widely documented.
  • Siblings: Information about siblings is not widely available.
  • College Career: Burden was a prolific scorer at the University of Utah, where he set multiple school records and earned All-WAC honors.
  • NBA Career: His professional career was brief but impactful, with notable performances for the New York Knicks.
  • Legacy: Burden’s quickness and scoring ability earned him a reputation as an exciting guard to watch during his playing days. Despite a short NBA stint, he left an impression on the league.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Ticky Burden’s player archetype was that of a scoring shooting guard: a polished perimeter bucket-getter whose game was built more on shotmaking, rhythm, and offensive skill than on physical dominance. Offensively, he operated as a lead wing scorer who could fill it up from the mid-range and beyond, with his reputation anchored by a refined jump shot and high-volume scoring output at Utah before he carried that scoring touch into the ABA and NBA. Defensively, Burden projected more as a backcourt defender handling guard matchups than as a true stopper, with his value tied far more to his offensive creation than to disruptive defense. Physically, he was listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, giving him solid size for a guard of his era but not the kind of frame that would make him an overpowering presence. His overall play style reads as smooth, technically sound, and scorer-first: a guard with a beautiful shooting stroke, strong instincts for getting his own offense, and a game that revolved around skill, touch, and shot production. (Deseret News)

Sources:

Deseret News — Former Utah Utes basketball star Luther ‘Ticky’ Burden dies at 62
KSL — Former Utah star Luther ‘Ticky’ Burden dies at 62
Salt Lake Tribune — Utah basketball: ’70s star ‘Ticky’ Burden dies at 62
Deseret News — 35 years later, former Ute Luther ‘Ticky’ Burden still not recognized in Huntsman